LAND SETTLEMENT IN TUAPEKA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2409, 3 May 1900, Page 17

LAND SETTLEMENT IN TUAPEKA.

x (Tuapeka Times.)

held in Lawrence for the purpose of taking the necessary steps towards calling the attention of the Government to the fact that there

. is no land -to be had in the Tuapeka district for. small ' settlement. Some, correspondence, '- we believe, of- a more or less* formal naturej \ took place between the chairman of- the meeti ing, in question, and the Minister for Lands. I Beyond that we are not- aware that anything , of *a practical kind has-been done-or attempted 'towards, the attainment of this very urgent | and desirable purpose. ' The matter was also l-the- subject of diseussio/y at-a meeting of the* ■ -Agricultural • Society, but in .-this, I as in the other instance, nothing effective has s been done, nor at present seems likely to be ' done. T-he subje,ct i^ one of too 1 much importance,- too vital to all- the best- interests of : the district, to be allowed to, slumber or pass ; out -ycf' sight. As we have pointed out on more than one previous. occasion, there is.abso-: i lutely in the Tuapeka district no land available "for small settlement. It ! cannot be said, .though,; that there" 'is no.' land in the district 'suitable 'for such., settlement. There- is- land- of -the very 'highest quality' held in\ private hands 1 which', 'if . controlled By/ ' Government, and 'placed at 'the--disßOsal.- l of fclW. public, would supply* all the wants; of settlement for. many years to'' 'come. It "is 'the. dutyTofj; the' Government to: do here w^afc^has clow;, so- successfully, in other parts -pji.t'he colony." The-neees,-sity' for.- such aef-ion: is quite- as* -.strong nere as in any other, district, but, of course, unless - the- matter is taken up and- pressed on the , attention of the** Government by those whose interests ..are. affected/ nothing will, be "done". ' The prosperity created- by the 3redgnig ihdustr.y; has provided many youiig men, with the means of taking up land and settling per manently down "n the district, 'but,, as there is no land' available, they' cannot do. so, and the. result- .will be" that they will? ha,ye to go farther" afield/ in /order to make homes for -themselves. It must be*"' obyious to "every- ' bo.dy;, that' lthe'r^' can be no expansion' oi pros- ' perity in j;he -district, while .suclv a state, of thing 3 e-vigfcs". " Ther' dredging and "mining "industries wfU riot }a§t for „eyer,*and, as a de-clinC"-Fets in. on ■ them, wiueliL.itrjn.Yisl,. do in the natural , orcTe.r' of things, tlie district, is bound' to suffer. Business men>- should be

.specially ; utev6afcod_ in "this -.question", quits a3 - muck so as intending, settlers, though up to the present they have displayed a strange warit. 'of* interest in- the -qnesCton. It should. atao 'bo said that tliQ agricultural sqcietiaa throughput

the district have not clone their duty in the matter. Had they shown more activity the Government, we are fully convinced, would long- before this bave taken the necessary steps to meet the demands of small settlement. It is to be desired that the question will be again ' taken^ up, and pressed vigorously, forward, .' and i& that is done we are confident the Go- • yernrnent will soon see the necessity of meeting the wishes of those who desire to make homes for themselves as producers on the land. ' . ,

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